Definition of sufficient
1a : enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end sufficient provisions for a monthb : being a sufficient condition
sufficiently
adverbExamples of sufficient in a Sentence
Considering that John Adams was notoriously insecure about his own place in history, he surely would have enjoyed his current renown. He and Abigail get pride of place in the family crypt, down a winding staircase in the church basement. On her plaque in the crypt, she is described as a “model of domestic worth,” as though she were a particularly charming chifforobe, and not a woman who survived a troubled marriage with sufficient courage that both houses of Congress adjourned upon hearing of her death. —Charles P. Pierce, Boston Globe Magazine, 26 July 2009
Because canines are, for the most part, unable to naturally manufacture sufficient vitamins to meet their daily requirements, a dog's routinely consumed meals, with some exceptions, must be augmented with them during the manufacturing process. —Tom Ewing, Dog Watch, February 2009
And since this policy is usually accompanied by a pledge to provide sufficient scholarship funds to admitted applicants who cannot afford the full cost (around $45,000 in the Ivy League today), it is an expensive policy. —Andrew Delbanco, New York Review of Books, 29 Mar. 2007
The result was a magnificent example of evidence overkill—the first set of prints alone was sufficient to match the gangbanger to a set in the national Automated Fingerprint Identification System database. —Jessica Snyder Sachs, Popular Science, March 2004
A brisk walk is sufficient to raise your heart rate.
There must be sufficient funds in your bank account to cover the check.
Her explanation was not sufficient to satisfy the police.
Recent Examples of sufficient from the Web
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But before long, Muldrow was yelling, and not even Lacy's exuberant cornet riffs could provide sufficient distraction.
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At the time, ice couldn’t be manufactured and kept frozen in sufficient quantities to create a proper rink.
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But the judge found there is sufficient evidence to support the charge.
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A no-contest plea acknowledges there is sufficient evidence to convict, but is not an admittance of guilt.
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Falling petroleum prices and years of economic mismanagement when oil revenues were high, have led to triple-digit inflation and left a majority of Venezuelans hardly able to buy sufficient food and other necessities.
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Labels are a first step — necessary, but not sufficient.
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If a child grows up to be a socially awkward but financially self-sufficient software coder, to use a stereotype, that’s a good outcome, Grandin says.
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Still, the Acadia does not have sufficient ground clearance, off-road tires, or low-range gearing for tackling extreme trails.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sufficient'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of sufficient
Middle English, from Latin sufficient-, sufficiens, from present participle of sufficere —see suffice
First Known Use: 14th century
Synonym Discussion of sufficient
SUFFICIENT Defined for English Language Learners
sufficient
playDefinition of sufficient for English Language Learners
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: having or providing as much as is needed
SUFFICIENT Defined for Kids
sufficient
playDefinition of sufficient for Students
: enough to achieve a goal or fill a need sufficient evidence
sufficiently
adverbLaw Dictionary
sufficient
Legal Definition of sufficient
: enough to meet the needs under the law of a situation or a proposed end
sufficiently
adverbLearn More about sufficient
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See words that rhyme with sufficient Spanish Central: Translation of sufficient Nglish: Translation of sufficient for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sufficient for Arabic speakers
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